gearing up

[SystemShark]

Well since it dosn't look like were going to get in a house anytime soon I think I wanna get started on someone elses property.. My girlfriend's grandparents have allot of land and are very nice people. So now I get to go back to thinking about what to buy to get started.

There seems to be allot of options.. I have a betterbee and bushy mountains bee farm catalog. They sell kits which look pretty nice..but what do I know?! Heres what I'm thinking..

Instead of getting deep/medium/small boxes and the frames that fit them.. I was just going to go with All medium kind..

Instead of 8 frame I want to go with 10.

10 Frame Varroa Screen, Queen Excluders, Triangle Escape Board

Instead of Polystrean (sp?!) I want to stick with wood (Pine I guess, does it matter?)

I know MB has allot of information on the smaller sized comb thing, so I wanna go that route I think..to help stop mites n such.

So far with the bees I've just used a Euro Beekeep jacket/dome or a Viel..but at other peoples Apiary and at meetings I've actually been more comfortable with nothing (plus its more macho right?).. but to be safe I'll prolly get some kind of protection ^^

Tools... A Smoker (altough from BEE MOVIE my girlfriend now thinks smokers are evil), hive tool, some good gloves.

As for the bees!!
If possible i just want to buy them from my mentor.. I think his are italians.  Though I think the Carnilians are very cute, not sure how they would stand up to the PA winters though. Russians are supposidly more hot but better for wintering. I'm sure when I start calling around
for the bees I'll get more info on that.

Anyway suggest away, I want to start buying in the next week or two. Which is maybe too late, since the season is just starting up.

I don't mind buying the "good stuff", I'd rather start out with quality gear that will last me and pay a little more than have to pay for subpar stuff and realize I want the better items later.  Let me know what you wish you knew when you were starting ^^ (I may have opened pandoras box with that question!)

Thanks!

[Kimbrell]

I bought a hive kit when I first started.  I have never used the queen excluder that came with it.  I started out with plastic foundation, but have switched to all wax.  I have the full beekeeper's suit, veil and gloves.  I wear them every time I work my bees and still get stung sometimes.  I guess I wish I had had more confidence to use my common sense!  Being nervous when working bees always leads to some interesting, although not necessarily pleasant, results!  :)

[Michael Bush]

It sounds like you have a plan.

[SystemShark]

Is it a good one? :p

Some people at the beekeep association suggested I start with 2 hives, as opposed to one. I guess I'm just looking for someone to say, "BUY THE KIT", or "DON'T BUY THE KIT, buy this stuff instead!".

[Michael Bush]

>Is it a good one? :p

It is a reasonable one.  You already know where I'd do it different.  But if you don't mind lifting 60 pound boxes, it's a great plan.

>Some people at the beekeep association suggested I start with 2 hives, as opposed to one.

If you have access to open brood when you have problems, one can do ok.  Two is nice to have for resources in case you don't know if it's queenless or not, you can put in a frame of open brood.

> I guess I'm just looking for someone to say, "BUY THE KIT", or "DON'T BUY THE KIT, buy this stuff instead!".

DON'T BUY THE KIT!

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnewbees.htm

[poka-bee]

Ditto!  Listening to all the people here for 2 hives I got 12 8frm meds, 2 queen includers, going straight to 4.9 foundation & want em to stay! Once I know they are building & raising I will take em off.  2 slatted racks, Brian makes a lot of sense, 2 inner/outer tops, 2 migratory a mistake on my part but may come in handy not expensive. 2 sceened boards, 2 bottoms, smoker (thanks Sean), pullover jacket veil, gloves, Hive tool, 100 frames, 100 wired wax foundations (maybe too many but wanted enough).  Hoping this gets me to NEXT spring!  Then MORE!MORE!MORE!   :evil: :evil: Splits, swarms...  :-D It was just under $500 for all that!  shhhh..don't tell hubby :roll: though could ask sweetly if he would rather I bought a pair of shoes... :evil: Jody

[Rich V]

Systemshark
When I started keeping bee's I wanted to start with one hive. Everone at the Bee club said, I should start with two. I'am glad I did. Two hives will give you something to compare and make it more interesting. If something should happen, like the loss of a queen you still have the second hive and can start a queen from it. I didn't buy the kit, because I wanted two deeps per hive, plus supers and that wasn't offered in a kit. I bought everthing disassembled had to put it together, paint it and install the wax foundation. It was alot of work, but fun. Also another advantage. I took a road trip to Dadant and was able to hand pick the tools, veil, ect. that I wanted as to what they would give me in a kit. I got better quailty equipment that way.
Good luck.

[Cindi]

If possible i just want to buy them from my mentor.. I think his are italians.  Though I think the Carnilians are very cute, not sure how they would stand up to the PA winters though. Russians are supposidly more hot but better for wintering. I'm sure when I start calling around
for the bees I'll get more info on that.

Thanks!

Systemshark.  The Carniolan bees are known for being very good for overwintering in the cold.  Do some research on them, you will be surprised at what you read.  They overwinter in very small colonies, requiring less food, and build up very early in the spring, they are also know as the "spring bee". The originated in the mountainous regions of Slovenia, they have excellent orientation skills, are not prone to robbing, as well, because of this specialized orientation skill, they do not gather as much propolis as for example, the Italians, the comb is much cleaner because of this, (whiter).  I witnessed this high propolis gathering with my 8 Kona Italian colonies, comparing it to the previous year when I had several Carniolan colonies.   One of the downsides  is that they are a little more prone to swarming because of the fast spring building up.  Anyways, if you like this breed, understand it a little better, it may be worth your while.  I am requeening 6 of my hives with New World Carniolans being imported from Strachan Apiaries in California around the end of this month.  I am making 4 nucs with the other 4.  Strachan Apiaries has been working to breed a Carniolan bee that is not as swarmy and purports that they are having improvements here.  I am rather fond of this dark bee myself.  I have had Italian and Carniolan and I like the Carniolan.  Anyways, good luck, and have a wonderful day, Cindi

[Michael Bush]

The kind of bee is pretty irrelevant.  You can requeen anytime and change that.

[SystemShark]

Sorry to keep bumping. I put together most of the equip list this weekend. I'm a little unsure about the frames/foundation tho.. which should I go with? I was reading this weekend in the better bee catalog that some bees have a hard time adjusting to the smaller foundation, so maybe starting off that route is too advanced for me? I like that it helps control the mites tho; I'd rather not use chemicals extensively (or at all, if possible) to treat for those kinds of things when they come up..so I was thinking the 4.9mm cell size would be a great preventive.

Also do you typically buy the frames separately from the foundation? When I harvest the honey I plan to do some cut comb and crush and strain (from Linda's videos!) so if theres a piece of plastic in the middle that wont work right?

Is the pierco plastic foundation just the easy/economical way to go? I get the feeling they may be better suited for the proffessional beekeep and not the starting one.

Thanks again! Can't wait to spend allot of time tomorrow reading through the posts I missed over the weekend.

[Michael Bush]

>Sorry to keep bumping. I put together most of the equip list this weekend. I'm a little unsure about the frames/foundation tho.. which should I go with?

I like foundationless, myself.  Or the PF120s from Mann Lake.

>I was reading this weekend in the better bee catalog that some bees have a hard time adjusting to the smaller foundation, so maybe starting off that route is too advanced for me?

Nonsense.  They may build it 5.1mm or so, but so what?  It will work fine.  My experience with the PF120's is they draw it perfectly the first try.

> I like that it helps control the mites tho; I'd rather not use chemicals extensively (or at all, if possible) to treat for those kinds of things when they come up..so I was thinking the 4.9mm cell size would be a great preventive.

That's been my experience.

>Also do you typically buy the frames separately from the foundation?

You can buy PF120's which are small cell and are one piece frame and foundation.  You can buy wooden frames and wired small cell wax.  You can buy plain deep wax and cut it in half and put it in with a gap at the bottom of the medium frame.  They will all work.

>When I harvest the honey I plan to do some cut comb and crush and strain (from Linda's videos!) so if theres a piece of plastic in the middle that wont work right?

It will be a bit more complicated, and I'd plan on foundationless frames for this, but you can use a spatula and scrape comb off of plastic foundation.

>Is the pierco plastic foundation just the easy/economical way to go?

It's not small cell.  It's CHEAPER and you'll get small cell with the PF120s.

> I get the feeling they may be better suited for the proffessional beekeep and not the starting one.

Nonsense.